Parfett



Nov. 30, 1954 F. PARFETT MACHINE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING STAMPS, LABELS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheet-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 5, 1950 A ttorneys Nov. 30, 1954 F. PARFETT 2,695,560

MACHINE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING STAMPS, LABELS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 5, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllllllllllllllll \I Inventor .2" Panfe -52;

Nov; 30, 1954 F. PARFETT 2,695,560

MACHINE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING STAMPS, LABELS OR THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 5, 1950 \Z Q \N at Ii N U U @11 Inventor N FPaJ fe 252? By Altorne y-S MACHINE FOR PRINTING AND ISSUING STAIVIPS, LABELS, OR THE LIKE Frank Parfett, Edmonton, London, England, assignor to Universal Postal Frankers Limited, London, England Application December 5, 1950, Serial No. 199,183

Claims priority, application Great Britain February 7, 1950 Claims. (Cl. 101-227) This invention relates to machines for printing and issuing stamps, labels or the like and has for its object to provide an improved and simplified machine of this character designed to print two or more impressions, such as a stamp and cancellation marking for example, on a strip of gummed paper which is thereafter severed automatically and delivered outside the machine.

The machine according to the invention is more particularly designed to deal with certain difficulties hitherto encountered in applying adhesive stamps to postal packages and parcels whose form and dimensions preclude them from being dealt with by a postal franking machine and which are frequently of a character such that a cancellation applied by hand over an ordinary adhesive stamp is illegible. The machine provided by the present invention is arranged to print impressions such as a stamp, a cancellation marking and where desired advertising matter side by side on a single gummed strip which can be readily affixed to a parcel and by changing the character of either or both printing dies the machine can be adapted to other purposes where adhesive stamps or labels are required. According to the invention a machine for printing and issuing stamps, labels or the like comprises a rotary printing element, a pressure roller disposed beneath the printing element, means for guiding a strip of gummed paper from a supply roll towards and between the printing element and pressure roller, a printing die or dies arranged during the first part of the rotational movement of the printing element to print an impression upon the paper strip and simultaneously to feed it forwards and out of the machine, and a device operated automatically during the concluding part of the said rotational movement to sever the printed portion of the paper from the strip.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine for printing stamps,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the machine shown in Figure 1 with part of the casing broken away to show the mechanism,

Figure 3 is a plan of the paper feed mechanism with the printing element removed, and

Figure 4 shows an example of a stamped label printed by the machine.

In the construction illustrated the machine comprises a base 1 upon which is supported a frame 2 attached to a casing 3 which encloses a rotary printing element 4. The printing element which is of the form disclosed in the specification of my prior British Patent No. 605,624, carries printing dies 5 and 6 for printing respectively stamps and cancellation markings and is mounted upon a rotatable shaft 7 which projects at one side of the machine and carries a handle 8 for manual operation. At the opposite end of the casing to the handle 8 is an adjusting knob 9 for varying the value indication in the stamp printing die 5. The portion 10 of the casing encloses an inking mechanism for the printing dies and the main casing 3 also houses registering mechanism for recording in units the total value of the stamp impressions effected by the machine.

The frame 2 has a rearward extension 11 in which is mounted a spool 12 of gummed paper the leading end of which is passed beneath a plate 13 fixed to the upper edges of the side members 14 of the frame. Mounted in these side members is a transverse spindle 15 carrying at one 2,695,560 Patented Nov. 30,

ice

end an arm 16 from the free end of which extends a stud 17 which bears upon the exterior of the paper spool 12 and prevents too rapid unwinding. The stud is maintained in contact with the exterior of the spool as the paper unwlnds by a spring 18 coiled around thespindle 15 and arm 16. The course of the paper strip is beneath the plate 13, between the plate and a fixed portion 19of the frame, over a resilient pressure roller 20, through. a guillotine device and into tray 21 having a central slot 22 to facilitate removal of the print stamp.. To assist feeding a fresh strip of paper into position between the plate 13 and the surface of the part 19 knurled rollers 23 are disposed beneath the plate. These rollers are mounted on a spindle 24 freely mounted in slots 25 in the side members 14 and carrying a milled knob 26 at its outer end for the purpose of manual operation. To maintain the rollers 23 in contact with the underside of the paper strip, a leaf spring 27 fixed at 28 to the part 19,. bears at its free end beneath the mid-portion of the spindle 24. The plate 13 is provided with a slot 29 immediately above the pressure roller 20 to enable this roller to co-operate with the printing dies as they bear upon the area of the paper strip which for the time being lies beneath the slot 29.

The shaft 7 carries a snail cam 39 which, during the concluding portion of the rotary movement of the shaft, bears upon a roller 31 carried at the free end of an arm 32 mounted at one end of a pivot pin 33 rotatable in a fixed bearing 34 and carrying, at its end remote from the arm 32, a second arm 35 carrying an adjustable disc 36 which bears upon a trigger 37. Downward movement of the arm 32 is opposed by a spring 38 and its return movement under the influence of the said spring is limited by a stud 39 carried in an extension 49 of the arm 32 coming into contact with the inner surface of the adjacent wall of the casing 3. The trigger 37 is mounted at one end of the partially rotatable member 41 of a guillotine device between which and a stationary co-operating member 42 the paper strip passes. Both components of the guillotine are mounted between the side walls 14 of the frame 2. A spring 43 is arranged to restore the member 41 and the trigger 37 to their normal positions after operation. The member 41 also carries a knob 44 for manual adjustment or operation when necessary.

The frame 2 is mounted on a pivot 45 (Figures 1 and 3) but is not ordinarily movable, the pivot being provided to enable adjustment in the position of the frame to be effected by screw and lock nuts 46 when it may be necessary to adjust the position of the pressure roller 20 in relation to the printing element.

The operation of the machine above described is as follows:

The knob 9 is first adjusted to bring the required value die into printing position within the stamp die 5 and the handle 8 is thereafter given one complete rotation. During the earlier portion of this rotation the printing dies 5 and 6 come successively into contact with the surface of the paper strip which is pressed upwards through the slot 29 in the plate 13 by the action of the resilient pressure roller 20. The paper is thus gripped between the dies and the pressure roller which, rotating in opposite directions, feed the paper strip forwards as it is being printed until the portion which has been advanced by the dies and pressure roller lies in the tray 21. During the latter part of the rotation of the shaft 7 the snail cam 30 comes into operation to depress levers 32 and 35 and also the trigger 37 whereby the movable guillotine member 41 is partially rotated to sever the printed portion from the remainder of the strip. The printed portion can then be removed from the tray 22 and used.

Means of known type are conveniently provided for releasing the handle 8 for operation and for compelling a complete rotation thereof once movement has been commenced, these means being provided as a safeguard against tampering with the machine by reversing the direction of movement of the handle.

The machine above described is normally designed to print a stamp this procedure entails a certain amount of wastage of paper between the impressions, the printing is preferably effected in the following manner. The operating parts followed by a cancellation marking but as,

are so positionedthat at the first operation a portion of blank strip followed by a stamp impression is severed'by the guillotine. This first impression is wasted, leaving the leading end of the paper strip with a cancellation printing lying-between the'pressure roller and the guillotine. At the second operationof the machine another stamp impression followed by a cancellation marking is made and the first cancellation and the second stamp are fed into theztray and-the portion bearing them severed. This portion :is illustrated in Figure 4 which shows the two impressions in the reverse order to that in which they would otherwise be printed. Each subsequent operation of the machine leaves a cancellation marking printed on the leading end of the paper strip in readiness for the next operation.

It isto be understood that where'more than two impressions are to be made upon each strip severed, such as by the addition of an advertising slogan, it is the impression which is last printed which remains in the machine in readiness for the next operation.

I claim:

1. A machine for printing and issuing stamps, labels and the like comprising a base, a frame supported above said base, a casing mounted upon said frame, a rotary printing element disposed within said casing, a pressure roller disposed within said frame below the printing element, means forming part of the frame for supporting a supply roll of paper, means for guiding the strip of gummed paper from the supply roll toward and between the printing element and the pressure roller, printing dies carried by the printing element adapted to print separate impressions on the paper strip during the first part of the rotary movement of the printing element, further means carried by the printing element for gripping the paper strip between the printing element and the pressure roller to feed the strip forwardly and out of the machine, a movable knife, a stationary knife, spring means urging the movable knife away from the stationary knife, a trigger attached to the movable knife, cam means mounted on the printing element and an arm operated by the cam means during the concluding partof the rotary movement of the printing element to move the trigger and the movable knife toward the stationary knife, to sever the printed portion of the strip.

-2. A machine as defined in and claimed by claim 1 further characterized in that spring means cooperates with said movable knife to return the said knife and trigger means to their initial position after severance of the strip.

3. A machine for printing and issuing stamps, labels and the'like comprising'a'base, a frame supported above roller disposed within said frame below the printing element, means forming part of the frame for supporting a supply roll of paper, means for guiding ther-strip of paper from the supply roll toward and between the printing element and the pressure roller, printing dies carried by the printing element adapted to print separate impressions on the paper strip during the first part of the rotary movement of the printing element, further means carried by the printing element for gripping the paper strip between the printing element and the pressure roller to feed the said strip forwardly and out of the machine, a movable knife, a stationary knife, spring means urging the movable knife away from the stationary knife, trigger means attached to the movable knife, an arm swingable toward the trigger means, spring means normally urging said arm away from the trigger means, a cam on the-printingelement and means disposed in the path of the cam and connected to said arm adapted to be engaged by the camduring' the concluding part of the rotary movement of the printing element to swing the arm toward the trigger means and the movable knife toward the stationary knife to sever the printed portion of the strip.

4. A machine as defined in and claimed by claim 3 further characterized in that said means disposed in the path of the cam includes a pivoted lever, one end of which follows the cam contour and a connection between the arm and the pivot of the lever.

5. A machine as defined in and claimed by claim 4 further characterized in that spring means cooperates with said movable knife to return said knife and trigger means to their initial position after severance of the strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 835,903 Grant Nov. 13, 1906 1,391,356 Wyrick Sept. 20, 1921 1,929,085 Langdon July 25, 1933 2,204,972 Rouan et al. June 18, 1940 2,273,272 Knauer et al. Feb. 17, 1942 2,273,300 Thatcher et al Feb. 17, 1942 2,377,523 Ryan June 5, 1945 

